Welcome to Renaissance Voices. My name is Kristene ODell, owner of 8 Owls Publishing. Have you ever wanted to get to know the authors behind the books you read? I have! I’m fascinated by the way Jesus moves in the lives of real people with real stories who have met a real Savior in their time of need. It’s these types of authors I love to work with and it’s my privilege to introduce them to you.

In this episode, Kristene speaks with KA Alexander, author of Blood Garden. They discuss the role of allegorical fiction in presenting Biblical principles and how this genre helps us understand difficult subject matters such as the gospel message, deception, gaining wisdom, and transformation.

Time Stamps:

3:40: As Kristene reads The Chronicles of Narnia as an adult after her salvation experience, she fully understood the stories and they deeply touched her.

7:00: The Holy Spirit can speak clearly to us in our imaginations through allegorical fiction and interact with us through the storyline.

8:17: Overview of KA’s book: A story of a young girl who has gone through great difficulties in life. Her sanctuary is her aunt’s old house with many different rooms. There is one door in the back of the library that she is hesitant to explore. But she eventually finds the courage to do so, and you must read the rest of the story…

10:40: Spiritual warfare is real and yet we don’t always recognize it until we have been scarred by it.

11:00 Andie (the main character) learns that she needs to stay connected to the lifegiving persona in the book. Which is a lesson for all of us. If we do not abide in Christ, we will fall into deception. It’s not purposeful. It’s just that deception is presented through the very things we have always wanted and is so enticing.

13:10: Very often we think that God is waiting to punish us for being disobedient. But in the Genesis story about the two trees, the Bible says that it is obtaining wisdom in a wrong manner (by eating the wrong tree) that brings about the punishment. It is the knowledge itself that is our undoing. It is our choice.

15:28: Blood Garden is a great allegorical story that shows us the redemptive heart of God.

17:07: The characters are vividly portrayed in the book. Kristene could see them as she read because Annette could see them. Annette visualizes them before she writes so they come to life. 

21:27: Annette has a companion journal that goes with her book so that people can grow their warrior’s hearts.

25:00: So much of the pain we deal with tries to keep us rooted in this world when God is wanting us to understand that we are now rooted in Christ, and we are seated with Him in heavenly places.

30:40: God loves us so much that no matter where we find ourselves, no matter how willful we are, no matter what circumstance comes our way. God knows we have eaten from the wrong tree and He has a solution. That solution is Jesus Himself.

Quotes From The Show 

“We all come to a book a little differently. Some read a linear story. Some paint a picture in their imagination. But the way allegorical fiction works is that it speaks to every person.” Kristene O’Dell

“Andie (the main character) learns that she needs to stay connected to the lifegiving persona in the book. Which is a lesson for all of us. If we do not abide in Christ, we will fall into deception. It’s not purposeful. It’s just that deception is presented through the very things we have always wanted and is so enticing.” KA Alexander

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